THE POSITION AT SHANGHAI.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 47, 24 August 1904, Page 5

THE POSITION AT SHANGHAI.

ENFORCING RIGHTS OF NEUTRALS QUESTION REFERRED TO PEKIN GOVERNMENT. JAPANESE DESTROYER LEAVES THE PORT. (Recoived August 24, 7.40 a.m.) LONDON, 23rd August. The Times Shanghai correspondent

states that the Taotai sought to induce the Consul* to adopt collective measures to avoid the possibility of hostilities and protect the interests of neutrals, which he feared wero endangered by tho presence of the Japuneao warships at Shanghai. Tho danger of complications was due solely to Russia's refusal to comply with China's demand for enforcing the neutrality rights. M. Ohaghiri, the Japanese Consul, strongly protested against any collective Consular action affecting belligerents' rights. A meeting endorsed this view, and, holding that China is alone responsible for the maintenance of neutrality, referred the question, at the instance of Sir Pelh*m Warren, British* Consul-Gene-ral, to the Pekin Government. The repairs to the Russian cruiser Askold ha?e been suspended. The British fleet is expected to-day. Tho Standard warns Japan that she ia not entitled to abuse China's weakness to tho ;injury of neutrals, and suggests that it is high time tho commercial nations agreed upon rules regarding neutrality por^s, and. also defined what is contraband. The Morning Post says that her refusal to obey the Shanghai orders when she obeyed the German orders at Kiaochau shows that Russia is not prepared to respect China's neutrality. Tho Japuneso destroyer baa left Shanghai. LONDON, 23rd August. Tho Kreuz Zoitung, although proRussian in Ha yiews, declares that Japan's demands in connection with the position at Shanghai are perfectly just.